Arian Foster Admits to Taking Money While at Tennessee: "I Didn't Have Enough for Food"

Arian Foster acknowledged that he accepted money while at the University of Tennessee as a senior, during the filming of a documentary, Schooled: The Price of College Sports, that airs next month, according to Sports Illustrated.

The only thing surprising about this is that someone publicly acknowledged it. Then again, Arian Foster is different than many players and has never been afraid to express his views.

There was a point where we had no food, no money, so I called my coach and I said, ‘Coach, we don’t have no food. We don’t have no money. We’re hungry. Either you give us some food, or I’m gonna go do something stupid.’ He came down and he brought like 50 tacos for like four or five of us. Which is an NCAA violation. [laughs] But then, the next day I walk up to the facility and I see my coach pull up in a brand new Lexus. Beautiful.”

In talking about getting some money on the side, Foster said “[t]here’s nothing wrong with it. And you’re not going to convince me that there is something wrong with it.” Foster expresses my views on the topic. The problem with the enforcement is that most people don’t see it as a moral issue if a consenting person gives money to another. We know this goes on all the time at pretty much every football (and major basketball) program. We play the charade, and Pete Thamel gets to selectively choose who to go after. What would happen if everyone came out and said what Foster just said? Tennessee fans may not be happy with Foster, but his revelation is nothing we didn’t already know.